Meant To Be
by Unique Shade Of Orange
Summary: Love, Hate, Horses, Dark Arts, Dating, ETC! Rated as shown for future content!
1. Starting Out

{A little background on Megan before things really get rolling: Megan is Harry's only friend from kindergarten. In the book it says he didn't have any friends, but I am entitled to change it a little bit. She, like Harry, had no idea that she was a witch, until she got a letter from Hogwarts. Her parents had 'forgotten' to tell her, but when she got her letter they were very supportive. They had agreed to get her to the Leaky Cauldron, but from there she was on her own. I guess they thought if they did not mention it, she wouldn't get a letter, or something.}  
  
  
  
  
  
"That's the last of your stuff, honey, have fun, we'll see you at Christmas," Mr. Thompson said and smiled at the young girl that had just stepped out of the car. The girl, whose name was Megan Thompson, smiled at her parents and hugged them good-bye. "See you later," was her only reply. She stood watching as her parents, got into their car and pulled away from the curb. Megan turned and glanced down at her luggage. She had only packed the things she needed, but she felt she had packed too much. She lifted the handle of her large trunk and began to drag it away from the curb. She only got a few yards before the weight of the trunk forced her to stop. A boy that looked to be about her age saw that she was having trouble with her things and quickly strided over. Wordlessly, he picked up the other end of the trunk and helped her carry it into the Leaky Cauldron. She took a closer look at him. The boy looked strangely familiar... 


	2. Diagon Alley

The pair hauled her trunk up to the counter and Megan asked, "Hi! Where do I pay for a room?" The clerk at the counter smiled at the young girl. "Right here," he said and leaned forward on the counter. "I'll put it on your tab, miss." Megan was unaware she even had a tab, but she thought to her self, *I better not even ask about it.* The boy smiled. "I've been here a few days, so I know where I'm going. Let's get your stuff up to your room." She tossed her reddish brown hair and grinned at him, before picking up her end of the trunk and lugging it up the narrow stairs. She glanced down at the worn staircases and thought *these stairs look like they'll collapse any minute.* After a moment she realized they probably were! They reached her rom and she repeated the password that was told to her down at the front desk. "Kool-Aid," she muttered and the door clicked open. She pushed open the heavy door and looked around her room. It was small and dusty, but it would work. After all, she would be spending most of her time out in Diagon Alley, buying her school supplies. She turned around to thank the boy, but he had already disappeared. She shrugged, very much confused, and headed out the door. She needed to ask someone how to get her wizard money from her vault at Gringotts. She stepped out of the cramped room and into the hall, and began her descent down the old creaky staircase. She walked across the Leaky Cauldron and out the back door. At that moment a pair of witches appeared and tapped the bricks. The wall disapeared and in its place was a large entryway into a busy little street crowded with oddly-named shops. Megan looked up at all the shops as she passed.   
  
  
~*~ Half An Hour Later ~*~   
  
Megan emerged from Gringotts with a pouch filled with Sickles, Knuts, and Galleons. She squinted as her eyes became, once again, accustomed to the bright sunlight. She had gained the help of an elderly woman and had gotten wizard money from her vault. A peculiarly large man had appeared at her door step the morning after she had recieved her letter, and had given her the key to her vault at Gringotts.  
  
  
~*~ An Hour Later ~*~  
  
After an hour of getting lost, stepped on, squashed, and everthing else that could possibly go wrong, Megan came out with all her necessary school supplies. Except for two things: her pet, and her wand. She realized that while she was walking, she was paying no attention to where she was going. She looked up and saw a sign above her head. It read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." She pushed open the door and looked around. It was a rather dusty shop, with shelves and shelves of boxes. To her, they looked like extremely skinny shoe-boxes, but she kept this opinion to herself as she waited for the shop keeper. An old, over-excited man bustled out of a back room and appeared at the counter. "Hello dear, Are you, by any chance, looking to buy a wand?" She nodded her polite reply to his obvious question. He spun around and jogged between the rows of stacked boxes. He returned less than a minute later. "Unicorn Hair with Mahogany, ten inches," he said quietly as he handed her the wand. "Go on, give it a wave." As soon as the wand touched her hand, her whole arm warmed up and went very tingly, as though it had fallen asleep. Stars shot out the end of the wand and encircled her head like a headband. "Wow," Mr. Ollivander said, almost in awe, as he watched all this happen. He looked at the young girl thoughtfully. "Not many young wizards or witches find their perfect wand on the first try!" She grinned and payed for her wand, before heading out the door. Megan made her way to Eeylops Owl Emporium, where she picked out her pet, a snowy owl. She had decided to name her owl Moondust, because the owl had sprinkles of gray mixed with the white of her feathers. She exited the crowded store and wandered back to the Leaky Cauldron, and then to her room. She sat down on her bed after placing Moondust on her desk. Megan had bought a cage for the owl, but she didn't want to put her in the cage for a while. As she lay back on the bed, she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift back to the boy she had met earlier. Who was he....? 


	3. Long Time No See

A/N: Just to let you know, Megan is one grade below Harry, because she had to repeat the second grade.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Megan's eyes fluttered open as the first morning light appeared through the old gray curtains of her room at the Leaky Cauldron. She groaned and shut her eyes, wishing she could sleep a few more hours.  
  
She got dressed quickly and wandered down to Diagon Alley.  
  
"Megggggaaaaaaan!" She heard her name being called and turned toward the voice. A boy, about her age, was calling to her and waving.   
  
She was confused, 'why would a boy be calling to me?,' was her thought; she walked toward him anyway.  
  
The boy had unruly black hair, and round glasses outlined his bright green eyes.   
  
She smiled, 'he's soooo cute... why does he look so familiar?'   
  
She continued toward him, her face set in a lost look. After all, she had no idea who he was, and suddenly he was just calling her over from out of the blue.  
  
As she walked, she scanned through a mental list of all the people she knew. Suddenly it came to her.   
  
  
~*~ Flashback ~*~  
  
The boy calling her name was from her kindergarten class. He had been her best friend... Her only friend. They had met the first day of school that year. He had been playing with some alphabet blocks in the corner. He had shared them with her. From that day on, they had been inseperable.   
  
One day he didn't show up for school. He didn't show up the next day, or the day after that. She asked her teacher, Mrs. Whittle, if he was sick, and she simply shook her head. "No dear, his family moved. I'm sorry."   
  
Megan was too shocked to speak. All she could do was cry. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't make a sound, not even a whimper. She had retreated to the back of the room, leaned against the wall and slid to the ground, and she had sat there all day.  
  
He hadn't called, written, or made any attempt whatsoever to contact her, and after a while she had almost forgotten him. He still lingered in her thoughts, deep in the back of her head.  
  
Day by day, she doubted his return even more. After a while, she came to the conclusion he was never coming back.  
  
~*~ End Flashback ~*~  
  
  
She picked up her pace a bit, and soon found herself face to face with Harry Potter. He had a few of his friends with him, but she didn't care.   
  
He had gotten taller. Much taller.  
  
Harry gave her a friendly hug. "HEY! What are you doing here? God, it's been so long! You remember me, don't you?" He looked into her eyes, waiting for a reply. "Of course I remember you, Harry! I'm going to Hogwarts, that's why I'm here, dummy!" was her response. They talked for a minute longer, but his friends were growing more impatient by the minute. "Harry...," one of his friends was calling his name. She had long, brown, somewhat frizzy brown hair, and she was rather pretty, to tell you the truth. Harry turned around to look at her, and she waved for him to come with her. "HARRY! We still need to finish our shopping." Harry nodded and waved to Megan, before following the girl through the crowd.  
  
Megan was disappointed that he couldn't talk longer, but she didn't let it show as he walked away.  
  
  
~*~ An Hour Later ~*~  
  
"Platform nine and three quarters..." Megan chanted, looking over and over at her ticket, and then to the brick walls in front of her, each with a number. She, at last, found platform nine, and immediatly looked a little further on. Platform ten. 'This is NOT working,' she thought. A group of robed teenagers brushed by her at that moment. She cautiously followed them, stopping a few feet to the side to observe how they got to the platform. Megan gasped as one of the teenagers walked straight through the barrier. She waited until they had all gone through, then started to walk toward it. She had seen one of the younger of the group run toward it, so she decided to try the wall at a run. She leaned forward, pushing the trolley faster and faster. At the last second, she closed her eyes, bracing for impact... but it never came. 


	4. The Sorting

Disclaimer: I KNOW, I KNOW, I should have done this earlier. It's up now, so no worries. I own Megan and everything else you don't recognize from Harry Potter. JKR owns the rest.  
  
(A/N: Just to let you know, in this fic, Megan is a grade behind Harry. I know I said it earlier, but here's why I'm mentioning it again: In the books and movies, you are in your first year when you are eleven years of age; but in this story you go to Hogwarts when you finish the 5th grade, kind of like if you were going into middle school. Hogwarts is middle school. Megan is behind Harry, therefor he's in his second year when she is in her first. Get it? Hopefully you do.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Megan opened her eyes, and she found herself standing in front of a huge train. Many other children and teenagers walked by, dressed in robes, pushing trolleys or dragging suitcases; parents following closely behind, calling out last minute instructions and well-wishes. Megan didn't have her parents with her.  
  
Megan felt completely alone, completely and totally alone.  
  
She pushed her trolley toward the train, and a nice, aging wizard helped her get her things settled and get on the train. She managed to find a compartment that wasn't full on the crowded train, but it already had one occupant. A small redhead smiled up at her from her seat by the window.  
  
"Hi! I'm Ginny Weasley," the girl stuck out hand. Megan returned the handshake and introduced herself "I'm Megan, Megan Thompson."  
  
She sat down across from the freckled girl, and looked out the clean window at the foggy landscape, and soon fell asleep.  
  
All too soon, she felt her shoulder being poked, and opened her eyes. Ginny was poking her, saying "we're almost there, we should put on our robes now." Megan pulled out a brand new robe from her trunk and slipped it over her head. She stole a quick glance at Ginny, who's robes looked like they'd been run over be a lawn-mower one too many times. She didn't say anything, she knew it wouldn't be polite.  
  
A few minutes later, all the first-years were piling into boats to cross a dark lake. Then they were out of the boats, up the front steps, in the door, and up even more steps, finding themselves staring into the face of a very stern witch.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall," the witch said in a stiff tone of voice, her words echoing in the entry hall like bricks on pavement. "I ask that you wait here a moment. We are not quite ready for you as of now," She continued, her face as serious as when they first arrived.  
  
After a few moments, the professor re-entered the room, looking a bit more cheerful. "We're ready for you now, follow me."  
  
The large group of first-years followed the witch across the Great Hall, trying to ignore the stares and mutterings of the older students. They all approached a long table and stopped, watching Professor McGonagall with wide eyes. "When I call your name, come and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head, and you will be sorted into your correct house."  
  
"Alison Anderson!" The witch called.  
  
The young girl cautiously walked up the small set of stairs and seated herself on the bench. The hat was placed on her head, but she was so small that it fell over her eyes. Suddenly the word "HUFFLEPUFF" echoed through the room. The entire Hufflepuff table clapped as the young brunette joined their house.  
  
"Seth Crockett. HUFFLEPUFF! JoAnna Harvey. SLYTHERIN! Brendan Indecelli. GRYFFINDOR! Adrianna Parker. RAVELCLAW! Megan Thompson. GRYFFINDOR! Ginny Weasely. GRYFFINDOR!" the hat chanted many names, fifty-eight newcomers altogether. Seventeen Gryffindors, twelve Hufflepuffs, nineteen Ravenclaws, and eight Slytherin to be exact.  
  
The food suddenly appeared on the tables in front of them, and the first- years let out squeals of excitement and surprise. As everyone dug into the mountains of food in front of them, Megan looked down the table at Harry, he was already looking at her. For a split second, they locked eyes, then Harry smiled and concentrated on his food once again. 


	5. The Truth

That evening, all the students, well, mainly the first-years, climbed into bed, full and exhausted, still talking softly about the night's activities late into the night.   
  
Every so often a prefect would open the dormitory door and look in, checking to see that all the students were asleep, or at least silent. During that time everyone would shut their mouths and close their eyes, pretending to be sound asleep. As soon as they heard the click of the door, the talking started up again.  
  
One of the prefects had come in while they were talking, and had transfigured an alarm clock into a small radio. The students soon fell asleep, the quiet music relaxing them and sending them into slumber. Megan fell asleep quickly after everyone else had started breathing deeply, her thoughts fixed on one particular person. A boy with black hair, green eyes, and glasses.  
  
  
  
I~ * ~  
  
Baby, you're all that I want  
  
When you're lying here in my arms   
  
I'm finding it hard to believe   
  
We're in heaven  
  
  
We're in heaven  
  
  
Oh, thinking about our younger years  
  
There was only you and me  
  
We were young and wild and free  
  
Now, nothing can take you away from me  
  
We've been down that road before  
  
But that's over now   
  
You keep me coming back for more  
  
  
Baby, you're all that I want  
  
When you're lying here in my arms  
  
I'm finding it hard to believe  
  
We're in heaven  
  
And love is all that I need  
  
And I found it there in your heart  
  
It isn't too hard to see  
  
We're in heaven   
  
  
We're in heaven  
  
Now, nothing can change   
  
What you mean to me  
  
There's a lot that I could say  
  
But just hold me now  
  
'Cause our love will light the way  
  
  
Baby, you're all that I want  
  
When you're lying here in my arms  
  
I'm finding it hard to believe   
  
We're in heaven  
  
And love is all that I need  
  
And I found it there in your heart  
  
It isn't too hard to see  
  
We're in heaven  
  
  
Now our dreams are coming true  
  
Through the good times   
  
And the bad  
  
I'll be standing there by you  
  
  
We're in heaven  
  
  
And love is all that I need  
  
And I found it there in your heart  
  
It isn't too hard to see (to see)  
  
We're in heaven   
  
Ohh, ohh, ohh  
  
  
Ohh, ohh, ohh  
  
We're in heaven  
  
~ * ~/I  
  
  
  
When Megan woke up the next morning, her thoughts were still set on Harry Potter. She thought of him as a friend, if they were even that close anymore. She didn't really know, she hadn't talked to him since they met up at Diagon Alley. He had looked happy to see her that day, but his friends had persuaded him easily to follow them. Megan didn't know what to think anymore.   
  
She slipped out of bed and onto the cold floor of the dormitory. "Cold! Cold! Cold. Cold! Cold! Cold," she chanted quietly as she rummaged around under her bed for her slippers. She slid them on her feet and padded quickly out of the dormitory, silently shutting the heavy door behind her.  
  
Harry looked up, hearing someone on the cold marble steps. Megan was coming down from her dorm, not noticing him. She sat down in a large overstuffed leather chair a few feet away from Harry; that was when she noticed him. Harry was staring at her, his eyes glowing a brighter green than she ever could have imagined. Megan had always wondered about the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, but she had never asked him about it. Until now.   
  
"Harry?" she asked, her voice coming out in something that sounded like the squeak of a rodent that has just been stepped on.   
  
He answered her in a quiet voice. "Yes?" She glanced down at her firefly-print pajama pants before looking up at him again. "How did you get that scar?"  
  
Harry looked her straight in the eye and a sad smile appeared on his face. "An evil wizard killed my parents when I was only one years old. He tried to kill me with that same powerful curse… but he couldn't. To this day no one knows why. The only thing that curse did to me was give me this." He pointed at his scar.   
  
"Harry? Can I ask you one more question?" He nodded.  
  
"Tell me the truth. Did you forget about me when you moved?"  
  
Without hesitation, he answered the simple question. "No, not even for a day." She smiled and leaned her head back against the chair, closing her eyes. She heard movement. Harry was getting up out of his chair. "I have to go to breakfast, I'll see you down there in a little while." He leaned down and softly brushed his lips across her cheek, then turned and headed out of the common room. 


	6. Riding Team

A/N: I got ONE new review . Well, it's a start!  
  
To HarryRoxMiSox: The kiss on the cheek thing was more like a show of trust and stuff. Like he was proving to her he still was her friend or something like that. It's my first fic, so I'm experimenting. Thanks for the review!  
  
  
  
  
  
Megan remained in the chair, eyes closed, for a while.  
  
Ginny came down the stairs, fully dressed in her uniform, and walked over to the other girl. Megan brushed her shoulder-length reddish-brown hair out of her chocolate brown eyes and looked up at the other girl. "Hey!" Megan exclaimed and smiled up at her. "You know, we should really head down to breakfast. but you can't wear that. I'll wait for you." Megan looked down at her ensemble and smiled sheepishly.  
  
Within a few minutes, she had her robes on and was heading out of the common room with Ginny.  
  
Breakfast was uneventful. The mail was the best part, her own had brought her a letter from home:  
  
Megan, We hope you got to school okay. Are you having fun? We miss you; Imphie (A/N: Megan's dog. Male Chihuahua puppy) misses you too. Your uncle came to visit, we had forgotten to tell him you went away to school, so when he got here he didn't know. He, apparently, went to Hogwarts too! Your father only knew he went to a boarding school somewhere in Europe. Looks like you aren't the only one after all! Well, I'm sorry this is so short, but your father and I are going out tonight.. Please write back soon!  
  
Mom  
  
  
  
Megan finished her breakfast and got up from the table, walked out of the Great Hall, and stopped dead outside the large doors. Ginny looked at her, confused, her eyes asking the question, "What are you looking at?" Megan nodded at a sign posted by the doors of the Great Hall. The sign read:  
  
  
  
ATTENTION:  
  
Who: All Students  
  
What: Equestrian Class  
  
When: Starting in two weeks  
  
Where: Newly built stables, north field behind castle  
  
Yes! You read this right! We have recently added a riding stable.. Riding lessons and shows are just some of the things that are offered to those who decide to take this class. More information will be given at the meeting that is to be held Sunday, September 16, 1990, after dinner. All who wish to participate in this class must attend. Just another notice: this class is one that you will take all seven years of your education. It will be in the afternoons, after all of your classes are finished, though extra riding lessons will be available throughout the day. For those of you who do not wish to add yet another class to their schedule, this is NOT a mandatory class.  
  
We are looking for someone, student or staff, to teach the riding lessons part-time, as we have yet to find anyone that can teach full-time, and we doubt we will be able to.  
  
Please see Professor McGonagall if you are interested.  
  
  
  
A smile appeared on Megan's lips as she read that sign. She turned to Ginny, her dark brown eyes sparkling with excitement. Megan glanced into the Great Hall, and saw Professor McGonagall sitting at the long table. She knew she should not go up and bother her, so she waited until Breakfast was over. Megan ran to catch up with her after Breakfast was over. "Professor McGonagall?" she asked confidently, not a trace of anxiety evident in her voice. The witch looked down at the first year. "Yes, Miss Thompson?" Megan took a deep breath and started talking. "I'm interested in taking the Equestrian class, and an additional riding lesson during the week. I rode back home, and I've begun to miss it terribly." The professor smiled down at the young girl and nodded. "I do not see that to be a problem. Please make sure to attend the meeting on the sixteenth. Okay, Miss Thompson?" Megan nodded. "Thank you, professor," She said before jogging down the crowded hall toward her first class.  
  
"Potions. I am really starting to hate potions." Megan groaned as her cauldron bubbled over for the fifth time that day. "I can't wait for this class to be over." Megan added. Ginny looked over sympathetically. "I don't think it's that bad." Megan glared at her partner. "You don't hate it because Snape isn't mad at you. You didn't spill boiling-hot hair-growth potion all over his leg." Ginny didn't respond; she just went back to chopping up more roots for the potion.  
  
The two girls finished the rest of class in silence, taking turns cleaning up spilled potion. Megan looked at her friend. "That class is harder than it looks." Ginny just nodded in agreement.  
  
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Actually, the next two weeks passed by in a blur. Her days leading up to the start of the Equestrian class consisted of spilt potions, nasty glares from Professor Snape, smiles and awkward chats with Harry, and hanging out with Ginny, who had come to be her best friend.  
  
'Finally!' Megan thought as she made her way out to the stables after dinner. She spotted Professor McGonagall standing by the huge double doors of the barn. As she headed toward the barn, she glanced around the landscape. The stables were gorgeous. Clean, well-built, and spacious were just some of the words that came to mind. Megan made her way over to Professor McGonagall and stopped directly in front of her. "Miss Thompson, If you head that way-" she pointed to a small cabin-like building to her left "- you will find some of your classmates have already arrived." Megan nodded and walked toward the place she assumed served the purpose of a lounge or meeting room. She opened the door and entered.  
  
She gazed around the room, allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the dim lighting. The room had a great many overstuffed chairs and sofas placed around the room. There was a about a dozen students already seated in the cozy lounge. Megan smiled as she saw a familiar face. Ginny. Harry was also there, along with the two people she had seen him with at Diagon Alley. One had red hair. she could only assume it was Ginny's brother. The other had long brown hair, somewhat frizzy, and she was rather pretty. Everyone else in the room Megan didn't know, with the exception of one other girl, a Slytherin first-year named Lauren Estevez, who had honey blonde hair and baby blue eyes.  
  
At that moment, Professor McGonagall entered the room, and all forms of communication ceased, all eyes trained to the stern looking witch. The professor smiled, "Alright. First of all, anyone who doesn't want to endure a lot of tough exercises and quite a bit of pain, leave now."  
  
No one moved.  
  
"Okay. Is everyone sure about this?" the professor asked. Everyone nodded. After a moment, the stern witch spoke. "All right. I need to know who has ridden before, and who is new to this fascinating sport." She nodded to a piece of parchment and a quill on a table over her left shoulder. "Please sign your name, house, year, and experience with horses. For your year, you only need to write the number." No one moved. "NOW." With that final word, everyone got to their feet and formed an orderly line, knowing if they were disorganized or rushy they could lose house points." After every student had taken their seat, she looked over the list.  
  
Name House Year Experience Megan Thompson Gryffindor 1 Advanced Harry Potter Gryffindor 2 No Experience Ginny Weasely Gryffindor 1 No Experience Ron Weasely Gryffindor 2 No Experience Hermione Granger Gryffindor 2 Beginner Draco Malfoy Slytherin 2 No Experience Lauren Estevez Slytherin 1 Intermediate Neville Longbottom Gryffindor 2 No Experience Brittany Fjord Ravenclaw 1 Intermediate Cedric Diggory Hufflepuff 4 No Experience Jessica Gracefield Ravenclaw 1 Intermediate Chris Kerratin Hufflepuff 2 No Experience  
  
"Ahhh yes, I see. We do have a nice number for a class. Well then, let us go out to the barns and assign mounts."  
  
Everyone followed Professor McGonagall out of the lounge, up a small hill, and into a large barn. No one knew what to expect of the horses.  
  
Winged? Other super powers? No. Perfectly normal riding horses. Every student in the class heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
The professor gazed at the sign-up sheet of riders, then at a list on a board on the wall in the middle of the huge barn. "First, I need to assign the only advanced rider, and go down. The beginners are always the hardest to assign mounts too."  
  
Megan looked up as the stern witch spoke. "Megan, you'll be riding Flashy." Professor McGonagall pointed down the aisle. Megan wandered over to the stall and looked in.  
  
All she could do was gasp. 


	7. Mystic

Disclaimer: I DON'T own anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books, movies, etc. I own the stuff you've never heard of before! :-D  
  
And now! Our feature presentation!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Flashy. Her horse. The one she had ridden for two years during riding lessons. And he was here. HERE!  
  
Megan slowly opened the stall door. She was sure it was all a dream, and any time now she'd be waking up, wishing it was real. Megan raised her hand to pinch her own arm, to wake herself up before it got too good, but Flashy got to her first. He nipped her playfully on the arm. A huge smile appeared on Megan's face as she threw her arms around the big horse.  
  
"Hey Boy! I missed you so much!" Megan drew herself away from the tall, muscular animal and looked up at him.  
  
Flashy was a big animal, tall and muscular, as mentioned before, with a fiery personality (in horse language, it means he's HYPER and loves to run). He was gentle, but not a horse for beginners. Megan had taken many falls from his back.  
  
Megan stepped back into the aisle, closed and locked the heavy door, and walked quietly back over to the crowd of people.  
  
Professor McGonagall was now assigning the last of the intermediate riders. "Miss Gracefield, your mount will be. Mercury." She pointed down the aisle. "Stall number 11."  
  
The black-haired first-year nodded but didn't move. She wanted to hear what horses everyone else was assigned too.  
  
"Alright, Miss Granger. Since you are the only beginner, we are going to place you with the new riders, and If you're skilled enough, we'll reassign you to the intermediate class. That goes for all of you, your first few rides will determine if you are in the correct class, or if you need to be moved."  
  
"Miss Granger, you will be riding Pogo. Stall number 13." Hermione nodded and wandered down the aisle toward her mount's stall.  
  
Harry was next. He was fidgeting, he couldn't seem to stand still for more than a couple of seconds. Professor McGonagall turned toward him, and Harry's face turned a sickly shade of gray.  
  
"Harry, you will be riding Chocolate." She must have noticed the scared expression upon Harry's face, because she added, "Don't worry, she's an easy mount. You'll like her. Stall number 17, okay?" Harry nodded.  
  
Professor McGonagall continued down the list of students, but Megan had directed her attention elsewhere. Typical eleven-year olds. Very short attention spans.  
  
"Megan.. Megan! MEGAN!" someone was calling her name. Megan snapped back to reality as soon as Professor McGonagall shouted her name the third time.  
  
"Y-yes Ma'am?" Megan stuttered, clearly embarrassed for ignoring a teacher.  
  
"The meeting is over. You will be expected here immediately following your last class."  
  
"Professor?" The professor looked at her. "Yes?"  
  
"I was wondering if the lessons will include any jumping?" Megan cautiously asked. Professor McGonagall smiled at her. "If you wish to do so, since you are the only advanced rider, I do not see a problem with that."  
  
Megan jogged up the path toward the castle, pushed open the main doors, and then went through the doorway into the Great Hall. She saw Ginny waving and ran to sit by her, smiling as she sat down across from Harry. "Hey Harry!"  
  
Harry looked up from his food and smiled. "Hey Megan." Satisfied with his reply, she concentrated on her own dinner.  
  
Suddenly the heavy doors of the Great Hall creaked open, and a young brunette girl was left standing in the entrance.  
  
"Ahhh, Mystic. Come here, dear." Dumbledore called. The girl, not knowing anyone except her grandfather, walked briskly between the tables, reaching Dumbledore in a matter of seconds. Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall carrying the Sorting Hat, perched on its usual three-legged stool.  
  
"Will everyone please welcome my grand-daughter?" Dumbledore called across the Great Hall, his voice easily heard; the large room was perfectly silent, perfectly still.  
  
Scattered clapping immediately erupted throughout the Great Hall, and within about five seconds Mystic had turned a bright shade of red.  
  
One of the Slytherins yelled "TURNIP!" and the whole Slytherin table erupted into hysterical laughter.  
  
Dumbledore nodded to Professor McGonagall, who in turn pointed a wand directly at Draco Malfoy, at the center of the table. Draco turned a sickly shade of green and clapped a hand over his mouth. He widened his eyes and shook his head quickly at the rest of his fellow Slytherins, who immediately stopped their laughing and returned to eating placidly, their gazes directed at nearby walls and bowls of fruit.  
  
Mystic, who's face had returned to its original color, turned toward Professor McGonagall and smiled. The professor pointed at the stool, and quietly explained what she needed to do.  
  
Mystic sat down and placed the tattered hat over her head. It was so large, it dropped over her eyes.  
  
"Ahhh yes. Well, let's see. You are especially difficult to place. Where to put you. Hmmmm. Well, not Slytherin; your heart is too pure. You're loyal. Very loyal. But there's something else. oh I see it now. Bravery. Hmmm. Well, how about. GRYFFINDOR!" as the Sorting Hat bellowed the last word across the Great Hall, the entire Gryffindor table burst into enthusiastic applause.  
  
Mystic approached the table, her long brown hair extremely puffy from the old sorting hat. All the first-years watched her intently, focusing closely at her bright blue eyes. Megan motioned to a seat to her right side. Mystic eagerly took it; the rest of the table was full.  
  
Megan smiled at the new girl. "Je m'appelle, Megan, tu t'appelles comment?" Mystic looked at her strangely, and Megan started laughing. "I'm sorry! I lived in France for a while, and I occasionally slip back into that language. You'll get used to it. My name's Megan, what's yours?"  
  
Mystic looked relieved and smiled, "Mystic. Mystic Ramsey." The new girl watched Megan closely for a moment before turning to the plate in front of her. She placed a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes on her plate and dug in.  
  
  
  
Megan groaned and laid back on her bed. "I can't believe it. First-years are not allowed to go to the Halloween dance! How are we expected to survive?" she whined, her dark chocolate eyes focused at the far wall.  
  
Mystic sat on the edge of her new friend's bed, "Maybe they'll change their mind. Or maybe they'll think of something fun we can do."  
  
Megan sat up, looked at Mystic, and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe."  
  
  
  
The next afternoon, after her last class, Transfiguration, had come and gone, Megan put her books up in the dormitory, and headed out to the stables. She wanted to be there a little early, to spend some time with Flashy.  
  
On her way down to the barn, she spotted someone familiar up the path a little ways. "Hey Mystic!" Megan called, picking up the pace until she had matched strides with the other girl.  
  
Mystic smiled. "Hey! I talked to Professor McGonagall, and she said even though I missed the meeting yesterday, I can still be in the class! Isn't that awesome! I shipped my horse over from my old school, so I wanted to spend some time with him."  
  
"That's a good idea. I wanted to be down there early so I could spend some time with my favorite horse. He was my lesson horse back home, and now he's here. I was so happy when I found out!" Megan's dark brown eyes sparkled with excitement.  
  
The two girls continued down the path towards the barn, almost knocking over a fifth-year. "Watch where you're going!" She snapped, continuing up the path toward the castle.  
  
'What's her problem?' Megan thought to herself as she and Mystic headed toward the barn.  
  
They would soon find out.  
  
  
  
"EVERYONE!" Professor McGonagall yelled for the fifth time, having trouble getting the excited student's attention.  
  
Finally, after the stern witch had started to lose her voice, all eyes were on her.  
  
"All right, I trust you remembered your mount assignments. Megan, would you be so kind as to get Flashy out of his stall, and put him in cross-ties, and give a quick grooming demonstration? Most everyone does not know how to do any of that, and I'm sure a few have no idea what a cross-tie is."  
  
Megan nodded and opened the stall door, entered, clipped on the halter, and led the big horse out of his stall.  
  
"Mystic, while she's doing so, will you please do the same with your horse? I do not think all these students will be able to see Flashy properly. I will send half of the students to you."  
  
"Yes Ma'am." She replied before bringing her horse, Lightning, out of his stall.  
  
(A/N: Mystic's here! **cheers** WOOHOO! That's my gurl! And her real-life horse, Lightning. He's an APPALOOSA! If you don't know what that is, it's a pretty spotted horse. Look it up! :-D And now, back to the story!)  
  
Pretty soon, all the students had their horses groomed, and finally, after a long time of lifting heavy saddles onto tall horse's backs and tightening girths, the group was ready to head into the large grassy riding ring and start the class. 


	8. Riding And Something Unexplained

"Megan, please show that group of students how to mount," Professor McGonagall pointed toward Harry, Ginny, Chris, Hermione, and Draco, before continuing, "Mystic, please show Lauren, Neville, Brittany, Cedric, Jessica, and Ron how to mount properly."  
  
The two girls nodded in understanding and headed toward their group of riders. Many riders had problems mounting, so after the girls had mounted, they had to dismount and give leg-ups to everyone too short to get on their horses by themselves. (A/N: a leg up is where someone on the ground grabs either your knee or your ankle/foot and boosts you into the saddle.)  
  
After everyone was mounted and sitting comfortably, the professor spoke again. "Alright. Beginners in the paddock to my right; Hermione, you too. Advanced riders to the ring to my left. Megan. Mystic, Madame Hooch will be with you tomorrow, but today you are on your own. Feel free to try the jumps and even raise them if you'd like to."  
  
Megan looked at Mystic and identical smiles lit up their faces. "Okay, thank you professor." They said as calmly as they could; but on the inside they were ready to burst with excitement. "We're RIDING again!" they said in unison as they walked their mounts, Flashy and Lightning, across the field.  
  
The two girls let themselves into the huge riding ring and shut the gate behind them.  
  
The next ten minutes were spent warming up at a nice active walk, doing circles in every corner of the ring, and just warming up the horses in general. Professor McGonagall's beginner class was only doing a nice walk for the first week or two, so some of the students had their eyes focused on the advanced riders' from time to time. When the advanced riders started trotting, all eyes were on them.  
  
After a while of simple walk and trot exercises, the girls were in the mood to canter. The ring was really big, so they could manage a long gallop if they wanted to. "Hey, Mystic? Are you ready to canter?" she smiled at the expression that crossed Mystic's face. It clearly said 'you bet!'  
  
"One at a time, or together?" Megan asked.  
  
"Together."  
  
"Alright. Let's go!" Megan called to her new friend, and the two girls moved into an easy sitting trot  
  
(A/N: There are a few versions of the trot I'll get into more later, but for now remember these two:  
  
Posting trot - the riders move up and down in the saddle with the motion of the horse's shoulder. Sitting trot - the riders don't move in the saddle.)  
  
Megan looked over at Mystic, and Mystic nodded. At the same time, both horses moved into an easy, relaxed canter, covering the distance around the ring at exactly the same pace.  
  
By now, all the beginners had stopped whatever they were doing and had crowded the fence line, watching the riders canter.  
  
Megan slowed Flashy and Mystic did the same with Lightning, and they met up in the center of the ring.  
  
"I really want to gallop Flashy. You can gallop Lightning too, but let's do it one at a time." Mystic's face lit up and she nodded in agreement. Megan took to the rail again, her mount prancing with excitement. Megan stopped Flashy and readied herself, as well as her horse. All the beginners watched quietly; they were not sure what Megan was going to do next.  
  
Suddenly, the pair was off, pounding around the ring at a brilliant speed. Megan lowered herself on his neck, asking him for more speed. He responded eagerly, tearing up the dirt in a blur of copper (A/N: Flashy's coat color).  
  
After two laps around the ring, Megan pulled her horse to a jog and retreated to the center of the ring again, watching Mystic do the same thing she, herself, had done mere moments earlier.  
  
After the two girls had walked their horses out for about ten minutes (A/N: Cool 'em off and let 'em breath normal again.), Mystic pointed out the jumps set up around the ring. "Come on! Let's jump! We can raise them if we want to! Isn't that awesome?" Megan agreed with the other girl and they took turns trotting over cavaletti (A/N: Poles on the ground), warming up before they jumped.  
  
When their horses were thoroughly warmed up and ready to jump, the girls set up a large course with jumps of varying heights from about one foot to three feet, with spreads (width) of up to seven feet. It was a nice course, and the girls were ready.  
  
"Megan, you go first. You designed it, in what order do we take the jumps?" Mystic inquired. Megan nodded and set off around the course at a canter, leaning forward so Flashy would know it was jumping time. As they approached the first jump, a small crossrail (poles in an "X" shape), both the rider and the horse's faces showed immense concentration. The horse popped up and over, landing with a soft thud in the sand. Next was the small vertical (pole straight across), then an oxer (a wide jump), and then a triple-combination (three jumps about 2 strides (18-24 feet) apart from each other), and finally a high oxer.  
  
Mystic went next, her horse moving rhythmically over the high obstacles. "Good boy, Lightning." Mystic praised as she slowed the excited horse to a walk.  
  
Both girls continued to jump for a while, their horses in no way losing energy. After a while, Megan and Mystic noticed the beginner riders had already put their horses away and were crowded along the fence line, watching with wide eyes. Megan smiled and rode over to the fence line, Mystic at her heels.  
  
"Girls, that was very impressive. Do you think you could entertain everyone else for a while? I've got to tend to something in the barn." At Mystic's nod, she turned to the beginners, "Is there anything you would like to see the girls do? If so, feel free to ask them."  
  
"We want to see you jump higher!" a few of the girls chorused excitedly. Megan looked at Mystic and they both grinned. They both dismounted and raised one of the verticals to a higher notch. "Hey Mystic? How high do you think Lightning can handle?"  
  
"As high as you want!" was her reply. Megan soon had the jump set at a whopping six-feet off the ground, with a width of about 6 feet.  
  
The kids had scared looks on their faces. The jump itself was higher than the girl's horses, and the width was longer than one of the kids lying down.  
  
Megan and Mystic didn't look scared. In fact..  
  
They looked excited!  
  
"Hey, you guys? Are you sure you want to do that?" Harry piped up. She hadn't heard him speak all day, so her head snapped around at his voice.  
  
"Of course!" The girls wore matching grins on their faces as they circled their horses at a walk, and then a trot, readying them. "I'll go first!" Megan shouted over the nervous chatter of the other students.  
  
Megan picked up a canter and circled the large ring, picking up a bit of speed on the approach to the massive obstacle. About 20 feet away from it, Megan readied herself, preparing for take-off. As the gelding pushed off the ground and into the darkening sky, Megan felt more at peace than she had in ages. No more family, no more worries, and no fear. Just her, and Flashy, airborne, for what seemed like an eternity.  
  
The soft thud of hoof against sand echoed through the trees surrounding the north side of the ring. Megan's mind snapped back to reality with the loud snort of the horse beneath her. Flashy continued away from the jump, his movement smooth and energetic. The jump hadn't taken anything out of him!  
  
She made her way across the ring to Mystic, whose eyes lit up with excitement as she asked Lightning to pick up a canter, heading toward the high obstacle. Lightning pricked his ears eagerly, clearly desperate to go over it. He kept a nice pace though, and they soared over the jump with perfect timing.  
  
All the beginner riders clapped and cheered, yelling things like "YAY!", "WOOHOO!", and "GO MEGAN/MYSTIC!"  
  
The students dispersed, heading back toward the castle, exhausted, but the two girls spend the next fifteen minutes walking their horses, making sure they were perfectly cool.  
  
After brushing, feeding, and putting them away, the two worn-out girls made their way up to the dormitory and collapsed into slumber.  
  
What they didn't notice was a note, written in blood on the window, that read:  
  
BEWARE! NOT EVERYONE IS WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE. 


	9. Missing In Action

Chapter 9  
  
The message had disappeared from the window by the time the girls had awoken from their deep sleep.  
  
A loud crash sounded from the common room. Megan fell out of her bed into a heap on the cold floor and immediately groaned. Mystic, however, remained with her head under the covers, wishing the clocks would set themselves back an hour or two.  
  
Moments later, Mystic emitted a shrill scream from inside the bathroom of the girls' dormitory, "MEGAN!" Megan stood and proceeded toward the door. "What?" she called through the door. "Get in here!" Mystic screamed frantically. Megan pushed open the door and met the horrified eyes of her friend. "HELP!" she cried. Megan quickly pulled out her wand and pointed it at Mystic's hair, which was now frizzed to the point of looking like she'd been electrocuted, and was now in varying colors of the rainbow. Megan muttered a dyeing spell and a de-frizzing spell, and soon Mystic's hair looked even better than usual.  
  
Megan pulled her robes over her riding clothes and headed downstairs for breakfast. She found a seat between Harry and Mystic, and seeing the look on the face of another first year, Madeline, she quickly sat down and leaned over to Harry.  
  
"Harry, I think Madeline has a crush on you," she teased. He shoved Megan, blushing a deep red. A thought raced through her mind upon seeing the crimson color of his face... 'What if he doesn't even like me? What if he likes her.'  
  
Mystic, who had been eating her bagel wordlessly, suddenly leapt to her feet. "I'm going to the barn!" she stated and with a flip of hero hair, she left the Great Hall.  
  
After a while, the bleached-blond haired Slytherin by the name of Draco came over to the Gryffindor table, a smirk crossing his cute but horrible face. "Potter, you having fun with your girlfriend?" he teased, pulling a chair up to their table. "Buzz off, Malfoy," Harry snapped, his eyes burning with hatred. "Megan, go pl ay with your horses, at least they like you." Megan took out her wand, keeping it under the table out of sight, and muttered the same hair coloring charm that had been placed on Mystic, and soon Draco's hair began to change colors. Harry stifled a laugh at the sight of D raco's hot pink hair. Draco raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but said nothing as he got up to leave.  
  
The whole student body erupted into hysterical laughter at the sight of Draco's now-neon-green hair. Megan muttered yet another spell that caused Draco's colorful, but usually slicked-back hair to stand on end. The Great Hall's occupants were now doubled over in laugher. even the teachers were chuckling!  
  
By now, Draco was fuming. 'How DARE they laugh at me. I am a Malfoy! Father will hear about this, for sure.' He thought to himself. A fourth- year Ravenclaw by the name of Michelle Cullin held up a compact mirror, and Draco's sneering face turned a deep scarlet color.  
  
A Slytherin first-year, Chris Shea, was sitting with his back to the other tables, completely mystified as to why everyone was either laughing or scowling across the room. He ignored tha laugher around him and bent his head over his potions essay "Explain the ingredients and their purpose in a hair-growth potion."  
  
"Oh screw this!" Chris yelled and ripped his parchment into hundreds of pieces. He swept them off the table on to the floor with a flick of his wrist.  
  
Meanwhile, Megan finally muttered the counter-spell and Draco's hair gradually returned to its normal state. "I'm going to the barn, I'll see ya'll later!" she smiled and with a swish of her robes had disappeared from the Great Hall.  
  
She arrived at the barn just in time to see a black-cloaked figure dart into the woods behind the stable. She blinked and the figure was gone, so she thought nothing of it.  
  
After ten minutes, Megan was beginning to wonder where Mystic was.  
  
"Professor McGonagall!" Megan yelled as she slammed open the door to the barn office. The stern witch looked up from her paperwork curiously. "Have you seen Mystic?" Megan asked her. "No," was the elder witch's stern reply, but she seemed a bit bewildered at Megan's expression.  
  
Megan paused, readying to leave, but after a se cond's time she turned to her teacher and said "P..Professor. as I came down the path, I saw someone run into the forest. They were wearing all black, they even had a black face!"  
  
The Gryffindor Head of House looked up quickly from her desk. "What are you talking about?" Megan repeated, "I saw someone run into the forest. "Now Miss Thompson, you know perfectly well no one can sneak around these grounds completely unnoticed. Surely someone would have seen someone lurking in the shadows and would have alerted Dumbledore immediately. I'm sure Mystic is around here somewhere."  
  
Megan opened her mouth in pro test but quickly snapped it shut, seeing the scolding look from her teacher's face. She hurriedly left the office, heading for Flashy's stall. She reached his stall and let herself in. Within minutes she had the big horse tacked up and ready to go.  
  
The sky was bright, blue, and clear; the perfect day for a trail ride. Megan noticed Harry was down in the barn, tacking up one of the quieter horses for a trail ride. "Hey Harry! You wanna come with me?" Harry nodded and strapped on his helmet.  
  
By the time they had set off the sky had darkened to a think gray color. The air had cooled drastically, but was still uncomfortably humid. "There's a storm coming," she shouted over the wind whistling in the trees. Harry nodded, his vivid green eyes focused on the ever-blackening cloud in front of them.  
  
A shrill scream pierced the wind, causing the two to stop in their tracks. "Did you hear that?" they yelled in unison. At the same moment, obviously thinking the same thought, they cued their horses for a canter down the trail.  
  
They had gone a long time without talking, occasionally slowing to a trot and sometimes a brief walk to give their horses a break. They had followed the wound of the occasional scream, and Megan had come to one horrifying realization. the scream was coming from the mouth of her friend, Mystic! Suddenly she pressed her heels into Flashy's sides and his momentum shifted from a walk into a swift gallop. She faintly heard Harry talking to his mount, a little gelding named Coconut, urging the smaller horse forward.  
  
The two students, their horses running side-by-side, came across an eerie-looking clearing. The ominous trees rose from the coal-colored dirt in tall towers. Flashy snorted nervously, obviously desperate to get as far away as he could from the dark field. Mystic's terrified scream rang like a whistle in a deserted train station.  
  
The storm had come on fast, too fast. Lightning presented itself every few seconds, illuminating the rain which was now coming down in sheets. Megan whispered a charm and with a wave of her want, a shield, invisible even to the eye of a dark wizard, was now keeping both pairs of horse and rider completely dry. They walked a little ways into the clearing, remaining alert to any sudden movements or unexplained sounds.  
  
A dark figure darted across the path mere yards from the pair of riders, pausing only long enough for the lightning to light up his shiny mask-covered face, black in color. Flashy planted his hooves in the mud, his eyes rolling, whites clearly visible, snorting wildly. Megan talked to him quietly, urging him forward. Coconut was clearly in the same state as the other horse. scared to death. The horses were finally calm and moving forward, when the high-pitched, cold laugh of an evil-minded man shattered the silence.  
  
Megan heard a scream a little ways behind her. Coconut had tried to run in the direction of Hogwarts, and had dumped his rider in the process.  
  
"Harry, look out!" Megan screamed, spinning Flashy on his haunches and bolting toward the place where the boy had fallen. Someone,----- or something. was approaching across the field.  
  
A/N: Yes, It was short, but hey! At least I wrote something! Sorry It took so long, I had no computer to write on. all of ours were fried in a recent lightning storm! Next chapter'll be up soon!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Everything you don't recognize (the horses, Megan, Mystic, etc.) belongs to me, and everything else belongs to J.K.  
  
Cheers! 


End file.
